2023: Obaseki, Okowa back Saraki, Tambuwal on consensus PDP presidential candidate

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, and Ifeanyi Okowa, his counterpart in Delta, have thrown their weight behind the selection of a consensus presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

TheCable had reported that Bukola Saraki, former senate president, Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, had agreed to settle for a consensus northern candidate to fly the party’s flag.

The three politicians are believed to be interested in clinching the PDP’s presidential ticket.

Obaseki and Okowa expressed their agreement when Saraki, on behalf of the other aspirants, visited the governors to seek their support.

Speaking during the visit, Saraki said Nigeria is currently unsafe and in need of a capable leader who can solve its problems.

“What we need now is the best hand to turn this country around. Millions of Nigerians are really going through hard times. As a party, we want to show that we are really committed to their interests. We have decided to make our interests secondary,” Saraki said.

“We have come up with the idea that for the interest of the party, we should come together and look at the consensus arrangement because we believe that what the country needs today is unity and we cannot be saying that to ourselves and fail to act in the same manner.

“We really want your support in this process. There is a need for the PDP to provide that platform to make things better for Nigeria. As such, we have come out to say that we should work out a consensus arrangement, where we don’t all go to the field. We don’t want to dissipate our energy on just trying to get into power, but on how to make Nigeria better.

“All of us are eminently qualified to rule this country. But we believe that this time only one person will win, and that person needs everybody to make Nigeria better.

“We also hope that you ask some of the aspirants and those who are still thinking about it to think about this consensus arrangement so that at the end of the day, the PDP will be united and we provide leadership to this country.”

Responding, Obaseki described the proposal as “a new lease of life” for the PDP.

“It is a new model for leadership selection where leaders who have some higher aspiration for their people come together and sit to decide the meaning of the office they seek to their people,” he said.

On his part, Okowa, who received the team in Asaba, Delta state capital, said the aspirants’ proposal is “truly heartwarming”.

“It will reduce acrimony and help to reposition the PDP as a party that can compete favourably and win,” Okowa said.

“This is a step in the right direction. It’ll strengthen us, tends to pull us together. This is the kind of thing that we need at the moment.”

He encouraged the team to work hard in the consensus-building process and unity of the party.